Minor Points: Annie's layout projects.

[corneliuslundie]

Agreed on current prices. I was at Scalefour North yesterday, and the prices of simple wagons kits have gone through the roof. I bought one of the new Brassmasters 4 mm/ft Gloucester PO wagon kits to see what it is like, but unless it is very, very good any more will be scratch built. Not that I really need any more, of course - but there is no such thing as too many wagons.

Jonathan

PS I have a photo of a third Mawddwy Railway carriage but I suspect that two will be one too many for you.

[Annie]

2 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Agreed on current prices. I was at Scalefour North yesterday, and the prices of simple wagons kits have gone through the roof. I bought one of the new Brassmasters 4 mm/ft Gloucester PO wagon kits to see what it is like, but unless it is very, very good any more will be scratch built. Not that I really need any more, of course - but there is no such thing as too many wagons.

Jonathan

PS I have a photo of a third Mawddwy Railway carriage but I suspect that two will be one too many for you.

It's quite funny in a way because i took up scratchbuilding in my late teens because I couldn't afford to buy model railway stuff and here I am as an OAP doing pretty much the same thing.

 

I don't mind seeing another Mawddwy Railway carriage Jonathon.  Any layout I build won't be all that big and more than likely two coaches and a van would be about the limit, but that doesn't mean that I can't build an extra one or two should the mood take me. 

I would think the Mawddwy carriages wouldn't be too far away from what many impoverished minor and light railways would have either had built cheaply or else purchased second or third hand.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Annie
more to say

[Player of trains]

All this talk of mixed compartment coaching reminds me of the one or two the West Somerset Mineral Railway had, the WSMR had kindly made drawings for such available online. 

 

https://www.westsomersetmineralrailway.org.uk/gallery.php

 

the whole gallery might just be up your alley Annie. that is if I'm not telling you old hat news haha. 

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Player of trains

[corneliuslundie]

Thanks for that link. Delightful. If I was not so committed to other things I could be tempted.

At the end of its life the line was used for some experiments with automatic signalling. it had two ex GWR locos there for the purpose which were later bought from the demolition contractor by the Cambrian.

As Annie asked for another:

 

These photos and a drawing of one of them will probably be appearing in the second volume of Cambrian Railways drawings I am working on.

The first, covering the period to 1892, will appear later this year from the Welsh Railways Research Circle. (End of advert!)

They were provided to me by Francis Taylor.

Jonathan

[Annie]

1 hour ago, Player of trains said:

All this talk of mixed compartment coaching reminds me of the one or two the West Somerset Mineral Railway had, the WSMR had kindly made drawings for such available online. 

It's a while since I last looked at the WSMR website.  I was interested from the point of view of the B&ER line to Minehead at the time, but with light railways and such on my mind the loco and rolling stock drawings are certainly of interest so thanks very much for the reminder.

 

25 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

As Annie asked for another:

 

These photos and a drawing of one of them will probably be appearing in the second volume of Cambrian Railways drawings I am working on.

The first, covering the period to 1892, will appear later this year from the Welsh Railways Research Circle. (End of advert!)

They were provided to me by Francis Taylor.

Jonathan

Thanks for this photo Jonathon as it's reasonably typical of a mid-19th century 3rd class coach that might have ended up as a 2nd hand workman's coach on a minor railway.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Annie
more to say

[Annie]

Sixteen Mills has some interesting laser cut 'O' gauge kits that I'd like to have a look at.  http://www.sixteenmills.co.uk/

 

 

[Schooner]

9 hours ago, Player of trains said:

 

the whole gallery might just be up your alley Annie.

Not just up Annie's alley that it's up! Thanks for sharing, a most timely reminder.

 

Speaking of, have you seen these guys http://www.parlytrains.co.uk/index.html Annie (and co.)?

 

 

[Annie]

1 hour ago, Schooner said:

Speaking of, have you seen these guys http://www.parlytrains.co.uk/index.html Annie (and co.)?

Wow!  No I have not seen this website before, but am I ever glad I've seen it now.  Thanks!

 

Some of their LNWR wagon types I've seen before as I have digital model equivalents on my Norfolk layout.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Annie
More words needed.

[Annie]

Neilson Box Tank drawings and photos 'borrowed' from elsewhere on RMweb. (No copyright applies).

 

Dalmellington Iron Company No.1 was delivered from Neilson & Mitchell in 1851

 

 

Miner & Smelter were delivered for the 4ft Redruth & Chasewater Railway in November 1854 but proved to be ruff on the track.  To cure their short wheelbase and rear overhang 2' 6" trailing wheels were added in winter 56 complete with brake blocks as Neilson's handbrake applied only on the rear driving wheels was not adequate on the line's gradients.

Drivers       3' 6" (8 spoke).

Cylinders  11"x 18"

Boiler         90psi  10ft long
Firebox      3' 6" long
Weight       12 tons

Gauge        4ft 0in

 

Miner was more ambitiously rebuilt in 1871 prior into a heavier 0-6-0ST.

 

 

Drawing by the late Iain Rice.

 

And a Broad Gauge one by J & C Rigby 1862 for the Holyhead Breakwater.

 

 

 

More can be found here.  The usual missing pictures though unfortunately.  https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/118534-neilson-tank-engines-boxy-and-not-boxy/page/4/

Edited June 6, 2023 by Annie
added a picture

[Annie]

The late Iain Rice's Box Tank article and drawings.

 

 

[Edwardian]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Annie]

Thanks for the additional photos James.  If any locomotive could have a model made of it successfully in card and wood a Neilson Box Tank would be it.  As for variations from their maker and modifications made by their owners there's no end of options to choose from.

I must confess that the Broad Gauge Box Tank for the Holyhead Railway keeps distracting me.

 

The 3Dfactory Box Tank is very nice, but at nearly $NZ 200.00 including postage before I buy wheels or anything else I'm afraid that 'hesitating' isn't the word for it.

 

 

 

Edit:  I found a drawing for a 3ft gauge single cylinder variant of the Neilson Box Tank over on Western Thunder, but I don't know if I want to jump down that particular rabbit hole just yet.

Edited June 8, 2023 by Annie
More words needed.

[Annie]

4 hours ago, Annie said:

The 3Dfactory Box Tank is very nice, but at nearly $NZ 200.00 including postage before I buy wheels or anything else I'm afraid that 'hesitating' isn't the word for it.

Alright it got serious.  I've ordered two axle sets of Slater's Manning Wardle 2' 8" 10 spoke wheels, but that's all.  If I can't make the rest I'll check myself into the old folks home.

[Hroth]

Amazingly, the Box tanks make Bulleids Q1 look over-designed!

[Edwardian]

1 hour ago, Hroth said:

Amazingly, the Box tanks make Bulleids Q1 look over-designed!

 

In an age that prized elegance in design and saw form as almost as important as function, these Neilson type box tanks, with their crude appearance and endless variation (no two appear exactly the same) have a wonderfully homemade look about them. Like some latter-day kit car, they suggest to me something that two blokes built together in a garden shed in their spare time.  

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Edwardian said:

 

In an age that prized elegance in design and saw form as almost as important as function, these Neilson type box tanks, with their crude appearance and endless variation (no two appear exactly the same) have a wonderfully homemade look about them. Like some latter-day kit car, they suggest to me something that two blokes built together in a garden shed in their spare time.  

And you can see from some of the recorded histories and surviving photos that these box tanks were bodged and repaired with all manner of old bits from other engines.  It was their complete simplicity and uncomplicated engineering that contributed to them lasting so much longer than they should have.

 

I made myself a rivet press some years ago and now I can't remember where I put it

 

I asked Google how many place names in Britain contained the word 'bishop' and I got given a list of 177 of them.  Some names like Bishop's Wood and Bishop's Well could be found repeated several times over so I'm thinking of choosing between the two of them for the name of my layout.

[Player of trains]

Bodged is the right word for it, I recall the Redruth and Chasewater tanks spent their last years with frames cracked clean in two, the engines were held together with ratchets, block and chains, and promptly gave an inspector a proverbial heart attack. 

 

Bishop sounds great as a prefix no matter what you go with Annie, its one of the few terms that was relatively immune to the language culture that can be mapped over Britain, probably because the spread of religion was after invasions were said and done with and far more uniformly.  

[Annie]

7 minutes ago, Player of trains said:

Bodged is the right word for it, I recall the Redruth and Chasewater tanks spent their last years with frames cracked clean in two, the engines were held together with ratchets, block and chains, and promptly gave an inspector a proverbial heart attack. 

Yes the frames were said to be a bit on the weak side which is why it wasn't wise to have any more than just the one wheelset fitted with brake blocks.

 

10 minutes ago, Player of trains said:

Bishop sounds great as a prefix no matter what you go with Annie, its one of the few terms that was relatively immune to the language culture that can be mapped over Britain, probably because the spread of religion was after invasions were said and done with and far more uniformly. 

True enough, - once named the village of Bishop's XXXXXX tended to stay that way and not get named again no matter how many conflicts and king's armies might pass over or through it.

 

Bishop Croft

Bishop Burn

Bishop Bridge

Bishop Burton

Bishop Dyke

Bishop Field

Bishop Forest Hill

Bishop Hagg Wood

Bishop Hill

Bishop Lands

 

& etc & etc...... I guess you'll be getting the idea by now.

 

Oh and about doing rivet impressions in softer materials like card one of these leather working tools is really useful.  You can get them with different spacings and they don't cost much.  I have several of the things, - now if I could only find them.......

 

[Annie]

Bishop Middleham

Bishop Monkton

Bishop Oak

Bishop Lough

Bishop Ooze

Bishop Rock

Bishop Spit

Bishop Sutton

Bishop Thornton

.............

[corneliuslundie]

So Bishop xxxx at one end of the line and at the other end you can have King's xxxx.

Another name you seem to get all over the place is Hope - possibly an appropriate name for a layout which one day might get finished

Jonathan

[Caley Jim]

Bishopbriggs

Bishopton

 

To name two locally.

 

Jim

[Edwardian]

I raise you Kingsbury Episcopi

 

 

Also in Somerset is Huish Episcopi.

 

Or there is Trollope's fictional Plumstead Episcopi

[Caley Jim]

No 'Episcopis' in Scotland, but plenty Kirks! 😁

 

Jim 

[Hroth]

Might I also remind parishoners that the Bishop of Winchester kept "geese" on the south side of the Thames...

 

Oops, forgot where I was.....

 

Begging Annies pardon for excessive coarseness!

 

Edited June 8, 2023 by Hroth

[Annie]

2 hours ago, Edwardian said:

I raise you Kingsbury Episcopi

 

 

Also in Somerset is Huish Episcopi.

 

Or there is Trollope's fictional Plumstead Episcopi

Ooooo that's an awfully nice view of the Somerset countryside.

 

I decided that the village connected to my imaginary light railway is going to be called 'Bishop's Well'.  I considered 'Bishop's Wood', but the ghostly sound of legions of small schoolboys giggling put me off that choice.

 

In other news I discovered that the small NZ company that manufactured all manner of useful model railway bits that I used to buy things from some years ago is still trading.  It's now under new management with a new owner, but they seem to be just as enthusiastic as the former owner was.  They make a nice gearbox which is intended for 'S' scale, but should be just as useful for small 'O' gauge engines.